Although a state audit of day-care centers found that eight in Greater Lowell shared addresses with known sex offenders, none of the matches was found to present a direct threat to children or violated state law.

Of the eight matches found in a review released last week by the State Auditor's Office, two were for day-care programs that had closed. Another was for a center that shared an address with a hospital where a sex offender worked.

Three others involved sex offenders who lived in an apartment that shared an address with the center, but the offender lived in a different unit. Another match came about because the day-care center shared an address with a temp agency that had a sex offender as a client.

The final match, found in Leominster, was for a day-care center that had moved to a new location without informing authorities. The license for that center has been revoked.

The auditor's report, which was released Wednesday, found 119 matches between addresses for sex offenders and the 10,528 registered day-care centers in the state.

Chris Thompson, the state auditor's press secretary, said the study was part of a routine audit of the Department of Early Education and Care. He said the department was not required to do the cross-checking.

"It was not required for EEC to perform Sex Offender Registry checks; that was our initial finding," said Thompson. "We found that out, so we did the check ourselves.

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Carmel Sullivan, a spokeswoman for the Department of Early Education and Care, wrote in an email that the department revoked the license of a Leominster day-care operation run by Robin Wiiniaka-Machado, after it was determined she had moved from the address on her license without informing the department, which is required of day care providers.

Sullivan wrote that the department was unable to contact Wiiniaka-Machado before it revoked her childcare license. The sex offender who matched Wiiniaka-Machado's day-care address lived in a different unit at that address.

The state auditor turned over the matches to the Early Education Department, which investigated each case, Thompson said. In addition to Wiiniaka-Machado, three child-care providers lost licenses: Ana Julia Minaya of Methuen and Diane Martin and Carmen Martinez, both of Springfield.

The report also found that of 152 randomly selected child-care workers, 15 had expired background checks. None was local.

Thomas Weber, acting Early Education commissioner, said last week the department would begin to do routine cross-checks of sex offender and child-care addresses.

There is no state law against a sex offender living near a day-care center. But some cities, including Fitchburg and Leominster, have passed city ordinances banning offenders from living 1,000 feet to 1,200 feet away from schools, parks or childcare centers. Lowell has banned sex offenders from using the public library during hours it is often frequented by children.

Chelmsford police Lt. Dan Ahern said police only take precautions, such as notifying neighbors or posting photos in the police station, for Level 3, or high-risk, offenders.

"Additional responsibilities are placed on the police department when a Level 3 sex offender is registered," Ahern said.

However, all directors of operating area day cares that turned up in the state audit said they were aware that sex offenders lived or worked nearby.

"The problem is addressed as long as you put in the safety precautions," said Patti MacGillivray, owner and director of Pattikakes' A Place to Grow in Tewksbury, which is on the Tewksbury State Hospital campus.

MacGillivray said Pattikakes' keeps its doors locked. When the staff and children leave the center, staff members bring two cellphones with them.

"If the staff ever sees something that is suspicious, they go to the campus police," she said.

But some day-care operators found the audit's findings troubling.

"It's absolutely horrific, and I can only speak for my center, but we do everything in our power to keep the children safe; that's our first and foremost," said Maura Costello, co-owner of Creative Minds, which has day-care operations in Dracut and Tyngsboro.

Local activists have responded to the audit by asking for more regulations against sex offenders and better access to information about sex offenders.

"We need to use the public information that's available, but that comes down on the Legislature to make more information accessible," said Laurie Myers, founder of Community Voices, which advocates for child protection and safety.

Information about Level 3 sex offenders, who are classified as high risk, is available online, but Myers said more information about Level 1 and Level 2 offenders should also be available.

"We can't wait for tragedy to act," Myers said. "We need to be proactive in protecting children and unfortunately we don't see that."

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